Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Faith That Conquers

Whatever Goliath you face, the one truth you need to bury deep within your heart is this: God loves you, and when you place your trust in Him, He will not allow you to face defeat. You may go through times of failure. Life may not always turn out the way you planned, but, ultimately, God will be glorified, and you will be blessed.

Every challenge presents an opportunity for God to display His faithfulness and love. Instead of yielding to thoughts of fear and failure, make a commitment to trust God, even when you do not know what the next day will bring. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6)

David’s faith was not based on human understanding. It was founded in the sovereignty of God. Therefore, David knew he could not fail in his quest to defeat the Philistine giants.

How do you gain a conquering faith?

Recall past victories. David recalled how God had delivered him from paw of the lion and grasp of the bear (1Samuel 17:32-37). Spiritual victories are won in your mind. If you cave into feelings of fear, doubt, and misbelieve, you will suffer defeat, because your mental focus shifts from God and His infinite ability to the lies of the enemy. Set focus of your heart, mind, will, and emotions on the truth of God’s Word, and you will gain the victory in every battle.

Reexamine and reaffirm your motives. David did not rush into the battle without assessing the situation. He realized that the battle facing Israel was spiritual in nature not just physical. His primary motivation for seeking the victory was not personal gain. Instead, it was to bring glory to God

If your motives for victory are selfish in nature, God will deal with you. True victory comes as you surrender your life along with your desires, to Christ. Always ask three questions before dealing with any conflict or challenge: “What is my motivation? “What is God’s purpose for me?” and “What really is going on here?”

Reject discouraging words. There was no one to encourage David in his quest to defeat Goliath. The soldiers laughed at him. His brothers were embarrassed by his presence and urged him to go home. Even King Saul doubted David’s ability.

If he had listened to their comments, he would have given up, but he didn’t. He turned his heart toward God, and it was there that he found the encouragement.

Recognize the true nature of the battle. Goliath cursed David when he saw him. “Am I a dog, that you come to with sticks?... Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beast of the field” (1Samuel 17:43-44). David countered these threats with a wonderful reply: “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted… the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands” (vv45-47). What a victorious to say “God Wins!”

Respond to the challenge with a positive confession. David made a positive confession of faith to those around him. He told the men who criticized, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” To Saul he said, “the Lord who delivered me…will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.” And to Goliath he said, “ I come to you in the name of the Lord of host, the God of the armies of Israel.” David’s words were a testimony of faith. He was convinced that he could not lose because God was with him.

Rely on the power of God for the victory. David did not need spear or a javelin to defeat Goliath. All he needed was his faith. A homemade slingshot was the weapon God choose for him. Human strength was not the victor here. God was the one who received the glory.

Reckon the victory. Even before he stepped onto battlefield, David knew he would not lose. You can face any circumstance with confidence and hope, because it is not your strength, wisdom, energy, or power that is the ultimate source of victory. It is God’s ability, and when you place your trust in Him, you tap into an eternal force that cannot be harnessed by any human constraints.